Jacksonville Pastors' Conference

My wife and I, along with the church staff, just returned from the annual Pastors' Conference at FBC, Jacksonville, FL. I have attended for multiple years. It is always a time of spiritual renewal for me. Everything the host church does is first class and state-of-the-art. The new children's ministry building is phenomenal. I have no way of knowing if anyone involved with FBC Jacksonville reads this forum, but if you do, please accept my heart-felt thank-you for all you do to make it available.

The workshops offer useful information. The music is dynamic. My, how it moves my spirit. The preaching packed with power. This year's best sermon, in my opinion, was brought by Steve Gaines from Gardendale, AL. He pulled no punches and the power of God was upon him.

Junior Hill, evangelist from Alabama, was his usual self. Though I disagreed with his statement about churches that drop Sunday night services will begin to go down, I always enjoy his humor and passion.

Fred Luter, a black pastor from New Orleans, was one of two speakers (Adrian Rogers was the second) on closing night. Fred has done a tremendous work in New Orleans in reaching a large number of black men who now attend his church. Though the sermons I have heard him preach are always a mile wide and a half inch deep, he has a way of awakening the audience with his screaming, fast talking, and alliterations.

The fact is, the conference offered a variety of preaching styles. If you stayed around long enough, you were bound to hear a preacher who "turned your crank." (EX: David Jeremiah, Max Brunson, Johnny Hunt, Jerry Vines - host, etc)

Pastors, I recommend that you add this conference to your schedule for next year. More information is available at the website for FBC, Jacksonville.

 

This conference is very minimal in cost. If you register before the end of the year (I forget the exact date), you get a discount. The cost is based on three levels. The highest is $100 which includes two meals per day. The lowest is $40 which does not include meals. Housing is available, too, if you request it early enough. I always stay at the Ramada Inn on Lane Avenue which is at exit 357 off I-10. The cost is around $50 per night, and the motel is only about 20 minutes from the church. If you use Beaver Ave. you avoid most of the traffic. If you think you might want to go next year, call the church and ask to be added to the mailing list to receive a brochure.